Nigel Farage won in Clacton with a stonking majority, securing 1,000 more votes than in the previous election. His victory total reached 22,400 votes, compared to 9,455 for Captain Binface, who won just 26.9% of the vote against Farage's 63.3%.
Haters' Reaction to Farage's Victory
According to Carole Malone, politicians, Reform-haters, and the left-wing media have reacted as if Farage had been reduced to rubble. She argues that even if every person in Clacton had voted for Farage, the Establishment would still denigrate him. The haters now claim the real story is that Farage didn't attend his own vote count, allegedly to avoid standing next to Binface and other ludicrous candidates.
Malone defends Farage's decision, stating she doesn't blame him for not standing next to Binface, also known as comic Jo Harvey, who treats elections and democracy as a joke. Harvey has previously stood against Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and Burnham in Makerfield, showing he doesn't care about the people of Clacton.
Farage's Stance and Mainstream Parties' Avoidance
Farage had made clear on election night he wouldn't attend the count, citing potential disruption and his refusal to be "demeaned and humiliated by nobodies" after a resounding victory. Malone praises his guts in calling out Binface as an attention-seeking joker, contrasting with Burnham, who shook the comic's hand.
Regarding accusations that Farage was scared to attend the count, Malone asserts the real scaredy cats are the mainstream parties that refused to field a candidate against him, knowing they'd be slaughtered and get fewer votes than in the general election. She notes that in the last election, the Tories got just 12,000 votes in Clacton, only 2,000 more than Binface.
Impact and Polls
Malone dismisses claims that the election has damaged Farage, saying it shows how clueless critics are about ordinary people's thinking. She predicts he'll be stronger now, given the people of Clacton voted him back despite the controversy over his £5 million donation. She also points out that Andy Burnham, who got just 24,000 votes in Makerfield, was considered a proxy for national support and is now Prime Minister.
Malone warns that over the next few days, politicians will hysterically claim Farage and Reform are finished, but that's only in their dreams. She cites polls showing Labour is just 2 points ahead of Reform, and predicts that lead will plummet when Burnham mishandles illegal immigration and the Early Release Scheme, especially if released criminals commit further offenses.
She criticizes the nonentity candidates who stood in Clacton for treating the by-election as a joke, unlike the voters who care about their representation. Malone concludes that mainstream parties didn't have the guts to take Farage on in a clean fight.
